With its "Focus Forward’ content initiative, GE worked with leading documentary filmmakers and consumers to create inspiring films about people changing the world. Here, some takeaways from the story-focused project.

Jason Kilar’s vision for Hulu transformed web video. So why is Hulu in trouble and Kilar rumored to be on his way out? Because his vision transformed web video. [Update: On Jan. 4, Kilar announced he and Hulu SVP and CTO Rich Tom would leave the company in Q1.]

Grant McCracken is an anthropologist, author, and research affiliate at MIT. His upcoming book, "Culturematic," talks about the rise of a new kind of culture-making machine. In an excerpt, he describes culturematics and what we can learn from them about creating breakthrough ideas.

COVER STORY: Google: The Quest, by Farhad Manjoo, page 68
How new CEO Larry Page will lead the company he cofounded—and where he needs to watch his step.
Plus: What Google can learn from Facebook, Apple, GE, and others.

Inspired by "Super Size Me" director Morgan Spurlock's bold new documentary about the ubiquity of branding messages in our daily lives, we embark on our own no-holds-barred exploration of the relationship between content and advertising.